


Love, Loyalty, & Lust

by NEStar



Category: Sanditon (TV 2019), Sanditon - Jane Austen
Genre: 6 Sanditon Valentines, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, F/M, Tumblr: Sanditon Creative
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 12:10:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22735951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NEStar/pseuds/NEStar
Summary: Sidney Parker has always enjoyed his Gifted nature (even if his brother wants him to use it to encourage people to visit Sanditon), to him being an Alpha is about loyalty and protecting those he loves.Then Miss Heywood pops up with her opinions on everything and it just rubs him the wrong way. Why should a Beta have this much influence on him? But then... she doesn't exactly smell like a Beta.
Relationships: Charlotte Heywood/Sidney Parker
Comments: 7
Kudos: 45





	Love, Loyalty, & Lust

Sidney stepped into the public room of the Crown and looked around for a moment. No, after today this wasn’t what he needed. With a deep sigh he left the hotel and made his way back to Trafalgar House. The footman informed him that the children had been taken to the river when the injured man was brought in.

This is what he needed. Some may try to rail against their Gifted stereotypes but Sidney always felt better when he indulged his. He was an Alpha, gifted to be loyal and brave, to protect those weaker than him, to guard the most vulnerable. Sitting here with his brother’s children he could feel his mind calming, his anger melting away.

He always carried anger with him from London. There was just so much artific in society and it rankled him every time he could feel the ill intent coming off of some person or other. He knew most of it was benign: a small lie in a business dealing, a desire for power or money, lust. But this time he was bringing more than the usual amount of anxiety.

On the drive down he had stopped at an inn and found an Omega girl sitting at a table in the corner. She was maybe fourteen, surely just presented, and her guardians had her set up to give advice to anyone with coin for it. It was too close to the roles The Gifted were forced into not so long ago and that made his blood boil. Just because Omegas were natural organizers and problem solvers…

He shook his head to clear the thoughts away. He couldn’t solve every problem he came across but he could fetch the boats for the children.

He had been there for maybe an hour when Miss Heywood arrived to fetch the children for tea. Maybe it was the conversation he had with her earlier or maybe just the natural ease he felt after being with the children but, for the first time in their acquaintance, he didn't feel awkward. Whenever he had been in her company before it was as if there was an itch between his shoulders, a tightness to his skin, that just set him on edge. It was that odd feeling that led him to insult her at their first meeting and to speak so harshly to her at both the ball and the day after. It had been the worst that day at the cove.  


She let the girls pull her into their game, even managed to make a comment about rewriting history that settled him even further. And then… He could see the moment the gears in her head ticked, her eyes scanning over the river and the toy boats.

“What is it?”

* * *

Charlotte fell into bed with a happy sigh.  


She had thought that visiting Sanditon would be a chance to see a bit of the world, to meet people who had different experiences, but it turned out to be so much more.  


_ “You are fast becoming invaluable, Charlotte. Whatever would we do without you!” _

The memory of Tom’s enthusiastic words brought a smile to her face. Between organizing the office papers and now coming up with the idea for the Regatta, Charlotte felt as if she was truly contributing to the creation of Sanditon.  


The memory of her talk with Sidney Parker set a different set of emotions stirring in her. Their interactions had always been so… It was as if they just rubbed each other the wrong way. Today they had finally managed to fall into step. The accident with Old Mr. Stringer was horrible, of course, but it did bring about the opportunity for Mr. Parker to see her as something other than frivolous. Then later at the river… Her idea was so simple but he had instantly embraced it, had insisted on telling Tom at once.

_ “Is it conceivable that we’ve had each other wrong?” _

Charlotte sighed.

* * *

For the third time on this trip Sidney caught himself whistling. It was an action he almost never did but for some reason…

He was relaxed. That must be it. The extra time he had spent in Sanditon, and now returning there so quickly, must have allowed him to relax to a greater degree.  


Also, Georgiana was in Sanditon not being left behind in London. That must be playing into his state of mind.  


Yes, all in all an encouraging development. 

* * *

Sidney's relaxed frame of mind did not last long. Georgiana and Miss Heywood were missing. Undoubtedly some scheme of Georgiana's to cause trouble with Ms Griffiths. Why the girl could not learn that obedience would bring greater freedom, he would never know.

While he was sure that they were safe (surely Miss Heywood wouldn't allow them to do anything too dangerous), his mind couldn't stop imagining the worst: Georgiana drowned, one or the other slipping off the clifftop, some rogue bandits sweeping through and taking them.

It was both a relief and a blow when he finally heard Miss Haywood's voice ringing out in a scathing imitation of himself.

The relief vanished the second he saw Otis Molyneux.  


All the rage he had felt the first time he had learned of that man’s deceptions came rushing back. He had worked so hard to remove Georgiana from his influence and yet here he was.

Holding back every instinct that clamored for him to remove the danger, he barked out orders to Mrs. Griffiths. Then watched as Molyneux climbed aboard the coach and was gone.

The intruder was gone, Gerogiana safe, that only left…

He turned to see Miss Haywood looking at him with shock.

“Did we not agree that you would look after Gerogiana? Keep her out of trouble?”

All the fear and worry and rage he had been holding in all day came out in a loud scoff, “I should have known you weren’t to be trusted.”

He turned away, uncaring as to what excuses Miss Haywood might offer.

“...You care nothing about her happiness.”

Was this girl willfuly stupid? He turned back, wanting to put an end to this conversation but at every turn she was snapping back, saying outrageous things. Then, in the middle of her beratement, a scent hit him.

Omega.  


“You speak out of turn,” he whispered, but his mind reeled. Not just Omega, but angry Omega. She had to stop talking. “THAT IS ENOUGH!” He bellowed.

Miss Heywood was stunned into silence and he stood there for a moment, mind and instinct warring. He had made an Omega mad, he should beg for forgiveness. No, she had no clue about the situation and was blindly spouting whatever poison Molynenux had poured into her ear. But further still, how was Miss Heywood an Omega?  


“Mr. Stringer! Please see Miss Heywood back to Trafalgar House.”

He needed to think, to be alone, to be away from the scent of angry Omega. 


End file.
